The problem of providing protection for vehicles stopped in traffic has become more complex as vans and trucks obscure vehicles stopped ahead. Warning lights on top of emergency vehicles are also obscured by vans and other traffic.
McDermott under U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,010 offered some help to solve this problem. By providing means to automatically raise the height of the warning lights he reduced the probability of accidents.
An operator of an approaching vehicle is thus notified that there is an obstacle ahead. The vehicle operator must then decide which adjacent lane he can cut into or he must prepare to stop. Confusion can cause an accident. This invention is not only to warn of an obstruction to traffic ahead but also to increase traffic flow and safety by indicating which adjacent lane the driver should take. There has been in recent years the acceptance of portable illuminated arrows at construction sites as means of guiding traffic around such sites. However, such devices require power and are not instantly available or portable. McDermott's original patented warning device did not approach the problem of guidance. It is hoped that this present invention gives answers to five problems. It gives guidance to approaching vehicles. It provides a regular warning light to the vehicle. It is instantly available. It raises the lights above traffic. It provides these features without any special power source by using the vehicle's power. McDermott's original patent had no provision for the individual control of the light bars or partial raising.